Transportation Worker Identification Credential Program (TWIC) is a common identification credential for all personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas of facilities and vessels regulated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and all mariners holding Coast Guard-issued credentials. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will issue workers a tamper-resistant "Smart Card" containing the worker's biometric (fingerprint template) to allow for a positive link between the card itself and the individual.

The enrollment process consists of the following components: optional pre-enrollment, in-person enrollment, security threat assessment and notification of the results, and issuance of the TWIC to the applicant. The security threat assessment includes checks against criminal history records, terrorist watch lists, and immigration status. A robust appeals and waivers process is offered to applicants who may be initially determined to be ineligible to hold a TWIC.

Applicants may pre-enroll online to enter all of the biographic information required for the threat assessment and make an appointment at the enrollment center to complete the process (although appointments are not required). Then, applicants must visit the enrollment center where they will pay the enrollment fee, complete a TWIC Application Disclosure Form, provide biographic information and a complete set of fingerprints, and sit for a digital photograph. The applicant must bring identity verification documents to enrollment and non-US citizen applicants must also bring along documentation to verify that they meet the immigration status requirements. These documents care scanned into the electronic enrollment record. There will be a total of 147 enrollment centers nation-wide, as well as employer-sponsored mobile enrollment capabilities deployed on a case-by-case basis. The applicant will be notified by email or phone, as specified during enrollment, when his/her credential is available at the enrollment center. The applicant must return to the same enrollment center to pick up his/her TWIC.